Pomegranates

Pomegranate: Latin for Pomum (apple) and Granatis (seeded)

It's Fall now, my favorite season! There are so many reason why it's so great: Halloween is in the fall - there is only one day a year where everybody and their dog can dress however they want and not get funny looks. I mean, if I could wear black and green stripped tights everyday, I probably would, but I can't, so I save them for Halloween.
The leaves turn different colors, there is still sunshine but the air is crisper, you can wear your summer and winter clothes, the large amounts of cash you can win in the pumpkin carving contests and best of all: The FOOD! Pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, squash, soups, stews! Life suddenly becomes great during the fall. Pomegranates are one of my favorite things to eat right now, because it's the only time I can buy them in the stores and I go crazy about it.


I love you pomegranate!!

I recently come up with an amazing idea - I've always said that pomegranates are like raspberry flavored corn...so it hit me: we should sell pomegranates in movie theaters. They taste like popcorn and candy at the same time, so all your movie watching needs would be taken care of in one single mouth tingling bite!


When you buy a pomegranate, you find the best one if you get a feel for how heavy they are. A smaller pomegranate might be heavier then a bigger one and that would mean it has more juice in it - pick the heavy ones. Don't let the shiney, bright colored ones confuse you either - the fruit that has been on the tree longer will be darker, probably uglier than the bright colored ones. Give it a squeeze as well, if it is hard it won't be juicy - but don't pick the very squishy ones either - aim for somewhere in the middle. Check as well to be sure there is no mold on the crown. It would be a pity to buy a bad pomegranate.
To cut it open, cut of the crown like in the picture. You can see the different sections in the pomegranate - cut it into quarters following the sections.


You don't have to cut through the entire fruit, just a slice into the outer flesh and it should break open. Now pop a few of those in your mouth, I know you can't wait any longer.

An easy way to remove the arils (that's what those little guys are called) is to place the sections in a bowl of cold water for a minute. Then rub them off with your fingers, the pulp will float and can easily be skimmed off when you drain the water.

When you have finished and drained the arils, you then hold in your hand a piece of heaven. It's good for your body too: Pomegranates contain more antioxidants than green tea and red wine. They also contain Vitamin C, B5, Potassium, and Fiber. They reduce your risk for heart disease, lower your blood pressure, may inhibit viral infections and may have antibacterial effects against dental plaque! They are also doing research now on their effect against proliferation of breast cancer cells in vitro.

I usually just grab a handful and eat away, but if you would like some variety in your pomegranate eating habits, throw them in some plain yogurt.

If this post did not satisfy all of your needs for pomegranate knowledge and enlightenment, don't worry, there is a pomegranate website: http://www.pomegranates.org/home.shtml

p.s. Thank you to Matt for teaching me everything I know about how get this pomegranate goodness into me as fast as possible. He told me about the water idea.